News

Voluntary Trap Approval Scheme

July 24, 2018

Dr Sandra Baker has proposed a Voluntary Trap Approval scheme for unregulated spring traps, to end double standards in spring trap welfare. And now the government’s Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) is getting on board.

Spring traps are legally required in the UK to meet approval standards in tests conducted by the APHA. However the spring traps legislation, which dates back to the 1950s, made an exemption for break-back traps (for rats and mice) and mole traps. Sandra’s research has shown that these unregulated traps vary several-fold in terms of their mechanical performance – and potentially their welfare performance – among traps meant for each species. She argues that all traps should meet welfare standards and proposed a Voluntary Trap Approval scheme in 2017; this would allow manufacturers of better unregulated traps to demonstrate that they meet the standards currently expected of all other spring traps.

Sandra has been in contact with the Animal and Plant Health Agency, who say that in principle they are prepared to test unregulated traps as part of a Voluntary Trap Approval scheme. Watch this space for future developments!”